Many individuals wonder if contact lens solution can substitute for a dedicated piercing aftercare product, often because both contain a form of saline. However, contact lens solution should not be used to clean a new or healing piercing. A fresh piercing is a puncture wound, and the delicate healing process requires a specific, inert environment that multipurpose contact lens solutions cannot provide. This is due to various active and inactive ingredients added to lens care products that are incompatible with healing skin tissue.
Why Contact Lens Solution Is Not Safe
Contact lens solutions contain a complex mixture of ingredients formulated for cleaning plastic lenses and contact with the eye’s mucous membrane. These are typically multipurpose solutions (MPS) that include disinfectants, buffers, and wetting agents, not simple saline. Common ingredients like polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) or polyquaternium-1 (PQ-1) are effective disinfectants for lenses but are severely irritating to the open epidermal tissue of a healing piercing.
The solutions also often include buffering agents, such as boric acid, designed to maintain a specific pH level comfortable for the eye. These added compounds, along with moisturizers, are toxic when applied repeatedly to a healing wound. The disinfecting components can have a cytotoxic effect, meaning they are harmful to living cells. Repeated application of these harsh chemicals delays the natural wound healing process by damaging the fragile cells attempting to regenerate.
The Recommended Aftercare Solution
The only substance recommended for a healing piercing is sterile, isotonic saline solution with no additives. This is typically sold commercially as a sterile wound wash spray. The ideal product should contain only purified water and 0.9% sodium chloride. The term “isotonic” means the solution has the same salt concentration as the fluids in the human body.
This matching salinity ensures the solution neither draws water out of the cells nor forces water into them, preventing cell damage and supporting natural healing. Sterile packaging, often an aerosol can, ensures the solution remains free of contaminants and bacteria. Using a pre-packaged, sterile wound wash is the safest method, providing a gentle way to rinse away debris and lymph secretions without introducing irritants.
Avoid attempting to mix a homemade salt solution for cleaning your piercing. Achieving the precise 0.9% sodium chloride concentration required for an isotonic solution is extremely difficult outside of a controlled setting. Homemade solutions are frequently too strong, resulting in a hypertonic solution that draws moisture out of the wound and causes significant irritation. This improper concentration severely over-dries the healing tissue, interfering with the body’s ability to repair itself.
Consequences of Using Improper Cleaners
Using unsuitable products like contact solution, hydrogen peroxide, or rubbing alcohol leads to complications that prolong the healing period. The chemical irritation caused by foreign additives can trigger chronic inflammation at the piercing site. This constant irritation makes the piercing susceptible to developing an irritation bump, often referred to as hypertrophic scarring.
These bumps are an overproduction of fibrous tissue that forms around the jewelry as the body tries to protect the irritated wound. The cytotoxic action of the disinfecting agents also inhibits the proliferation of new, healthy skin cells, delaying overall healing time. When tissue is constantly stressed and damaged by harsh chemicals, the piercing is at an increased risk of localized infection. Sticking to a sterile, additive-free saline wash supports a smooth and uneventful healing process.